Future FLM development ideas

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mimzy
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Future FLM development ideas

Post by mimzy »   2 likes

Just some random thoughts. Comments welcome.

Problems with the current FLM format:
* Threads get intertwined with off-topic discussions (not relevant to the movie).
* Only thread starter (or admin/moderator) can update movie details in the first post. Many thread starters are no longer available.
* There is no proper mechanism for requesting reshares (reshare requests further clutter the threads). We can see the list of recently liked threads/posts, but we don't know if reshare is needed.

Need a better movie database that is linked with forums. Ideally the database would be a combination of LMA (http://lostmoviesarchive.com/) and arjlover (http://filmiki.arjlover.net/filmiki/):
* LMA: excellent web design.
* Arjlover: online movie clips (or full movies), ed2k and torrent links (including the number of seeders and leechers!)
* Each database entry should have a link to relevant FLM forum thread.

No idea what the current plans of LMA are. Is there interest of adding all (on-topic) FLM movies to the LMA database (in the long term)? Should we cooperate with LMA or create an own movie database?

Different ways to implement a movie database:
* Independent custom software (a la LMA).
* Wiki.
* Special bbcodes. For example, using [movie-description]this is a movie description[/movie-description] might insert a movie description into the database. If such metadata was added to posts, it would be possible to generate movie database automatically.

Might implement a tiny FLM eMule server to monitor the number of seeders and leechers, so we know which files need to be reshared. Might also consider other p2p technologies. Any interest in I2P- or Tor-based (anonymous) filesharing?
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Phuzzy4242
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by Phuzzy4242 »   1 likes

mimzy wrote:Problems with the current FLM format:
* Threads get intertwined with off-topic discussions (not relevant to the movie).
* Only thread starter (or admin/moderator) can update movie details in the first post. Many thread starters are no longer available.
* There is no proper mechanism for requesting reshares (reshare requests further clutter the threads). We can see the list of recently liked threads/posts, but we don't know if reshare is needed.
Off-topic discussions will always be a part of the back-and-forth unless you ban discussion completely and I think that would be a mistake. It hasn't really been a big problem anyway. A lot of threads were started as [REQ]uests and many of the early ones were "toss an idea out" and info was added later. It's not pretty but it seems to work. Reshare requests are almost always quickly filled. The only way they could be "better" is if someone had a dedicated server with every file - something like the FLMSearch you used to run before the switchover two years ago.
mimzy wrote:Need a better movie database that is linked with forums. Ideally the database would be a combination of LMA (http://lostmoviesarchive.com/) and arjlover (http://filmiki.arjlover.net/filmiki/):
* LMA: excellent web design.
* Arjlover: online movie clips (or full movies), ed2k and torrent links (including the number of seeders and leechers!)
* Each database entry should have a link to relevant FLM forum thread.
No idea what the current plans of LMA are. Is there interest of adding all (on-topic) FLM movies to the LMA database (in the long term)? Should we cooperate with LMA or create an own movie database?
It'd be nice to have a complete database but it'll require lots of admin work in initial setup and maintenance. If we want users to be able to create new entries and/or edit the database, it almost need to be set up like a wiki, perhaps with a template for the required fields (Title, release year, country, synopsis, etc.). Such a wiki is very vulnerable to misuse/sabotage/graffiti/defacement/etc. so either a mod would have to approve changes or there'd have to be an easy way to restore prior versions of each entry - a "wayback machine". LOL

I don't think we should combine our info with other sites - if we give our stuff away, what's the point of having FLM? It would be nice to have ed2k and torrent links, but again it'd almost require a dedicated server and lots of bandwidth.
mimzy wrote:Different ways to implement a movie database:
* Independent custom software (a la LMA).
* Wiki.
* Special bbcodes. For example, using [movie-description]this is a movie description[/movie-description] might insert a movie description into the database. If such metadata was added to posts, it would be possible to generate movie database automatically.

Might implement a tiny FLM eMule server to monitor the number of seeders and leechers, so we know which files need to be reshared. Might also consider other p2p technologies. Any interest in I2P- or Tor-based (anonymous) filesharing?
I think any software used would have to be custom written or extensively customized from other sources for our specific needs. That's fine if you're going to be around forever, mimzy, because I'm not up to the task. :) I recommend NOT basing anything on Tor - the US government (NSA) is specifically targeting it now.
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mimzy
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by mimzy »   1 likes

Thanks for feedback ;)
Phuzzy4242 wrote:Off-topic discussions will always be a part of the back-and-forth unless you ban discussion completely and I think that would be a mistake.
I didn't mean that off-topic discussions were a bad thing at all. It's just that each post makes the thread grow and over the years it will get more and more difficult to find important information that is somewhere in the middle of a multi-page thread. That's why I thought we might need a "database".
Phuzzy4242 wrote:Reshare requests are almost always quickly filled. The only way they could be "better" is if someone had a dedicated server with every file
Reshare requests clutter the threads without adding any info that is valuable in the long term. One idea is to add a "request reshare" button to each link. Each user could have a limited number of pending reshare requests (ie., 10). The requests could be voided by the user and they would expire automatically after some time (ie., 1 week). Global (anonymous) request list could be seen by all users (potential sharers).
Phuzzy4242 wrote:It'd be nice to have a complete database but it'll require lots of admin work in initial setup and maintenance. If we want users to be able to create new entries and/or edit the database, it almost need to be set up like a wiki, perhaps with a template for the required fields (Title, release year, country, synopsis, etc.). Such a wiki is very vulnerable to misuse/sabotage/graffiti/defacement/etc. so either a mod would have to approve changes or there'd have to be an easy way to restore prior versions of each entry - a "wayback machine". LOL
The idea is not to increase the work burden of admins, but to do things more efficiently and not get stagnant. One possibility would be to create a template for release posts, which could then be automatically added to the "database".
Phuzzy4242 wrote:I don't think we should combine our info with other sites - if we give our stuff away, what's the point of having FLM?
I don't own any info personally. The stuff is posted by the community, so I guess it's up to the community to decide which sites they want to have and what to share.
Phuzzy4242 wrote:I recommend NOT basing anything on Tor - the US government (NSA) is specifically targeting it now.
Allegedly they injected malware to a Tor-based mailserver. Anything else?

I don't think that NOT using Tor makes you any safer... Anyway, I just wanted to hear peoples' opinion.

Thanks.
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Phuzzy4242
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by Phuzzy4242 »   1 likes

Let me put data sharing with other sites a different way. It should depend on whether the other site agreed to share their database with us. Why should we promote a site if they won't return the favor? We wouldn't be stopping someone from releasing on that site in addition to releasing here.

Tor stuff...
http://www.itnews.com/criminal/68342/la ... um=twitter
http://www.theguardian.com/world/intera ... n-document
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-10-0 ... ad-website
http://boingboing.net/2013/08/04/anonym ... -down.html
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013 ... me-to-nsa/

There are lots more but you get the idea. One thing to think about when using Tor - merely using it attracts attention, like waving a bright red flag and yelling "Hey, look at me over here!"
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mimzy
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by mimzy »   1 likes

Phuzzy4242 wrote:Let me put data sharing with other sites a different way. It should depend on whether the other site agreed to share their database with us. Why should we promote a site if they won't return the favor? We wouldn't be stopping someone from releasing on that site in addition to releasing here.
I already downloaded LMA's "database", so I can add LMA links to our threads. It surely promotes LMA, but I hope that we benefit from that as well. Frankly I feel that popdrome's work has always been a bit undervalued.
Phuzzy4242 wrote:Tor stuff...
Thanks, interesting reading.
Phuzzy4242 wrote:There are lots more but you get the idea. One thing to think about when using Tor - merely using it attracts attention, like waving a bright red flag and yelling "Hey, look at me over here!"
All in all, it's the same with eMule, except that you also tell everybody your address...
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donkeykog
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by donkeykog »   2 likes

Its ashame that members are not taking the opportunity to voice their opinions. I hope as a newcomer you do not mind me giving my two cents.

Unfortunately I bring no solutions. I am only giving example of what I have experienced as a user.
I didn't mean that off-topic discussions were a bad thing at all. It's just that each post makes the thread grow and over the years it will get more and more difficult to find important information that is somewhere in the middle of a multi-page thread. That's why I thought we might need a "database".
I have found this to be true with my post of "Best Coast" I searched on the search and went through most of the 10 something pages of mostly talk and pics on the Chloe Moritz page and didn't find it. So I posted it in shorts. It got removed because it was posted somewhere in the Chloe thread. So I can relate to things being "lost" in long threads.

Reshare requests clutter the threads without adding any info that is valuable in the long term. One idea is to add a "request reshare" button to each link.

I love this idea. I have recently asked for re-shares, all of which sat at 0 for at least 4 months before I asked. But I still waited till things were quiet because asking means bumping newer posts back without providing anything new.

(anonymous) filesharing?
I would think many would rather not have their address posted.


Anyway thats my opinion. :D
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mimzy
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by mimzy »   2 likes

Thanks donkeykog.
donkeykog wrote:
I didn't mean that off-topic discussions were a bad thing at all. It's just that each post makes the thread grow and over the years it will get more and more difficult to find important information that is somewhere in the middle of a multi-page thread. That's why I thought we might need a "database".
I have found this to be true with my post of "Best Coast" I searched on the search and went through most of the 10 something pages of mostly talk and pics on the Chloe Moritz page and didn't find it. So I posted it in shorts. It got removed because it was posted somewhere in the Chloe thread. So I can relate to things being "lost" in long threads.
In this case, you might have found it easier with standard search, which (unlike "FLM Search") can display results as single posts. Are you sure that your REL got removed? If so, there was probably another reason than the file being posted somewhere in the Chloe thread.

I'm not yet sure how to implement the database thing. One idea is to implement special bbcodes/tags for release posts.
donkeykog wrote:
Reshare requests clutter the threads without adding any info that is valuable in the long term. One idea is to add a "request reshare" button to each link.
I love this idea. I have recently asked for re-shares, all of which sat at 0 for at least 4 months before I asked. But I still waited till things were quiet because asking means bumping newer posts back without providing anything new.
I've had the same experience. It is not technically feasible to keep all FLM files shared; on the other hand, it is not easy to monitor the actual number of seeders and leechers with eMule (would be easy with torrent if we ran our own tracker). I fear that many potential new users leave us, because they are unable to download files they need.

I will probably implement the "reshare button" later this year or early next year unless somebody has a better idea.
donkeykog wrote:
(anonymous) filesharing?
I would think many would rather not have their address posted.
I guess so, but I'm afraid there is still not enough interest in anonymous filesharing today. It does have some drawbacks; most importantly, transfer speed in anonymity networks is relatively low, the choice of filesharing clients is limited, and anybody has to run extra software (I2P, Tor), which may cause additional technical problems.

Alternatively, a VPN can be used to hide one's IP address, but can you trust your VPN provider?
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donkeykog
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by donkeykog »   0 likes

standard search
First time I've seen that thanks!
your REL got removed
I should have been more specific. The short "Best Coast - Our Deal" got re-located from shorts to garbage (https://www.first-loves.net/forums/v ... =81&t=9350) due to it already being posted under the Chloe Grace Moretz actress page 4 (https://www.first-loves.net/forums/v ... =30#p52491).

This is not intended as a complaint. I am only bringing this up as an example that happened to me of something that got "lost" in a large thread. The search had not found it for me before I posted and I had skimmed the 12 pages of Chloe and missed it due to it being such a large thread.

I will probably implement the "reshare button" later this year or early next year unless somebody has a better idea.
I think that will be excellent!

anonymous filesharing...does have some drawbacks
Unfortunately that is the case. I agree with you and Phuzzy on the drawbacks, it just sucks cause I think it has alot to due with lack of willing posters here.



That all said -

Thanks Mimsy, Phuzzy, and Kev for all the hard admin work you all put in!
:D
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emuler
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by emuler »   2 likes

What do you think of the idea that every topic should have links to every post in it that contains an ed2k link? Say a topic starts off as a [REQ], then a discussion follows, and then ed2k links of increasing quality get added in due course. The topic could show Link 1, Link 2, Link 3 etc. and clicking any of these links will take you to the post which contains that link.
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mimzy
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Re: Future FLM development ideas

Post by mimzy »   3 likes

emuler wrote:What do you think of the idea that every topic should have links to every post in it that contains an ed2k link?
We have "Show posts with ed2k links" at the top of each thread, which has a similar function.
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